A women’s march will take place at the Place de la Monnaie public square in Brussels at 5 p.m. on Friday January 20, the day Donald Trump will be sworn in as president of the United States, the Belgian online news site, Bruzz.be, reported on Thursday. The march, organized by a group of five women known as ‘Lights for Rights’, will demand more attention for women’s rights. It is a variant of the Women’s march to be held on the same day in Washington DC. Demonstrations in support of the struggle for women’s rights and social justice are also to be held in Zurich, London and Sydney.
“Trump’s election to the presidency is representative of current opinions and of a world that’s increasingly misogynistic and against human rights,” organizer Emma Woodford told the Belgian news agency, Belga. “We have to rise up against that with a positive reaction.”
More than 1,000 persons have confirmed on the event’s Facebook page that they will participate in the Brussels march, while 4,500 have indicated their interest.
The march is supported by Bianca Debaets, Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities in the Brussels regional government. “I truly understand the people who are going to demonstrate in the streets,” she said. “Donald Trump has insulted and harassed women. That does not go away when you become president.”
"It would be good if he delivered on his campaign promise and his daughter Ivanka Trump’s plan to grant American mothers six weeks’ maternity leave. The United States is one of the few countries in the world that do not provide maternity leave,” she added.
Lars Anderssen (Source: Belga)
